Q. Define Hepatic Cholesterol Synthesis?
This is a highly complex process beginning with acetyl CoA formed from fatty acid oxidation or from carbohydrate breakdown. The rate-determining reaction, which is the conversion of hydroxy methyl glutaryl (HMG) CoA to mevalonate, is catalysed by the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. It is the activity of this enzyme that largely determines the rate of cholesterol synthesis.